


untitled

by mikhailkun



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Eren Yeager, Based on a song, Break Up, College Student Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 16:57:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7370125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikhailkun/pseuds/mikhailkun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by the song 'Mudai' by Amazarashi.</p>
<p>-----</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <em>The day he realized the time, and wondered how many months and days have passed, a painting of his was sold after quite a while </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <em>The thing that changed, was always the scenery </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <em>A letter came from the painting's buyer, a single phrase on a cherry-blossom patterned paper </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <em>"What I believed in, was right." </em></p>
            </blockquote>





	untitled

**Author's Note:**

> This idea popped into my head a while ago and I had to write it so yeah this happened.
> 
> I hope you enjoy ^w^
> 
> (and if you have a chance I would recommend listening to [the song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTv9xLPu7Q8) and watching the video it literally made me cry when i first watched it)

_On the first floor of a wooden apartment, he was painting pictures in a daze; he wanted to draw about himself, about the world that surrounds him / He liked pictures since he was little, the reason being that everyone praised him; but the only person who praises him now, is his [girlfriend] who lives with him / But he was happy with that; they passed by each other everyday, but [she] always left her notes in those lovely cherry-blossom patterned papers / When he realized, the night has already ended, the sun has already set, the winter already passed; that day, a painting of his was sold for the first time_

Eren had always loved painting.

Even though mostly his drawings were of simple subjects; blobs, wiggles, crudely colored in in hues that hurt the eyes, he was always told that he would grow up to become a famous artist. His dream was to move to France, maybe Paris, sell paintings, become rich, famous. Be able to buy his parents nice things, the things that they deserved and thank them for giving him the inspiration to pursue the only dream that he had.

But, things changed, and dreaming about a future in France took a back seat.

He continued painting, drawing, throughout his schooling and of course, as comes with practice, he became an incredible artist. He won competitions, painted murals for his school. But by the time college came around, his parents were totally against his plans of taking an art course. Why waste thousands on going to college, just to do something that they considered only a hobby? They tried to persuade him to go to a business college, get a good degree and work somewhere where he would have a stable, and more importantly, high income.

To spite his parents, he simply decided to veto college altogether.

\-----

He sat on the balcony of their apartment, absentmindedly swirling colors together on the canvas. The whole world may as well have not existed, right now the only thing that was important to him was the blending acrylics on the stretched linen.

He heard the door open, but it was far away from where he was. Footsteps echoed through the silent hallway, making their way towards him.there was a soft click; something being placed on a counter, and then he sensed a presence behind him. Not bothering to turn around, he knew exactly who it was, and he could feel the steely grey eyes boring into the canvas.

A pair of warm arms wrapped around his waist, and soft lips pressed against the nape of his neck. As quickly as the touches came, they were gone, only shoes clicking on the tiled floor.

Eren was close to finishing, just a few touch-ups to do, but he felt that there was something missing. Of course, a snow-covered scene was always going to look a little empty, but the plethora of details that were put into everything made it a masterpiece like no other. He sighed, adding a few more small details before packing up his paints, and cleaning his brushes.

He made his way into the kitchen where Levi was waiting for him, standing by the counter. There was a soft smile on his face, and a bottle of wine on the counter behind him.

'You were finished sooner than I thought you would be', he said as he made his way to the taller brunet. 'I think that's the longest you've ever worked on a painting.. you started it before Hallowe'en'. His arms made their way around Eren's, and the brunet's followed suit. He lowered head, pressing his nose against the top of the shorter mans hair.

Eren hummed softly in response, his arms involuntarily tightening around the raven-haired man below him. 'I'm glad, I'll have more time with you. I promise'. Eren felt, more than saw, Levi shaking his head.

'I don't mind you painting. You're the most amazing artist I know, you should keep working towards your dreams'. Eren's face lit up, like a child at Christmas, and he pressed his lips against Levi's forehead.

'Why don't we open the wine? Lets celebrate this finished painting. Finally. I cant wait to spend more time with you. I love you. How are your classes going? Did you get the internship?', Eren questioned, but all that came from Levi was a soft chuckle.

'I love you too. Alright. Yeah. That's unimportant right now, all that matters is you', Levi said as he popped the cork on the wine, pouring two generous glasses for him and his lover. He held out one to Eren, who graciously accepted, and they tapped the rims of the glasses together, both smiling softly.

'To the future'.

'The future'.

As they took their first sips of the wine, Eren's phone rang, causing him to begin choking on the tart liquid. He placed the glass down on the counter, spluttering still, to see that the caller ID was his best friend, business major, Armin. He ran Eren's website where his paintings were up for sale (although, one had never been bought). Before Eren could even get a word in edge ways, Armin screamed into the receiver, causing Eren to hold the phone at arms length.

'Eren! I have great news! One of your paintings, it sold! I'll send you the info later, I'm kinda busy but I needed to tell you! Well done, my friend'.  _beep._

Eren nearly dropped his phone, his jaw dropped in shock as his eyes moved to meet Levi's. 'You heard that, don't even try and tell me you didn't'.

Levi had a smug look on his face, as he stood up to hook an arm around Eren's neck, and place a sweet kiss on his lips.

'My boyfriend, the artist. I'm so proud of you, baby. Why don't we celebrate some more?', he suggested, holding up his gass of wine.

'Sounds like a plan'

\-----

Eren woke up the next morning, and made his way into the kitchen. The apartment was silent, and he blearily made his way towards their coffee machine. He went to put more water in it to make a fresh pot, and his hand brushed against something stuck to the handle. A piece of paper, with cherry blossom flowers in the corner, Levi's impeccably neat writing across the center.

'Well done ♥'.

\-----

_The situation was already changing; the next month, all his paintings were sold / The thing that changed, was always the scenery / Everyone commended his paintings, [she] happily said to him "What I believed in, was right."_

Their apartment was empty.

Overflowing boxes were scattered throughout their home, and Eren felt empty, being unable to paint until their belongings were moved to the new apartment. He held a warm cup of tea close to his chest, mirroring Levi who was sitting across the table from him. The move was only possible because of Eren's painting suddenly skyrocketing in popularity. He had seventeen up for sale online, and in the last month, all had been sold.

As he took a sip of his tea, he smiled against the cool rim of the cup, lifting his eyes to meet Levi's gaze. There was a softness in Levi's eyes, and a soft curl to his lips. Eren tilted his head slightly, shrugging, giving Levi the opportunity to talk.

'I'm so proud. I know I've said it before, but I'll keep saying it. You're incredible.. I remember, when you were deciding whether to go to college, and your parents didnt believe in you, but I did. Armin did. All of your friends did, and I still believe in you. After the past month, I know I was right to have believed in you. I love you.'

'I love you, too'

\-----

_From the people who bought his paintings, he received letters of gratitude sometimes; he didn't know what he did to be thanked for, but it obviously didn't feel bad either / He was happy for the treasures that slowly accumulated in the small room, hoping that this would continue forever / He came to love pictures even more, wanting to paint more beautiful pictures; he wanted to draw about himself, about the deeper truth / He came up with a masterpiece, [she] smiled saying its beautiful; it was a picture about people's wretched nature that everyone shifted their gaze away from_

Eren folded up the letter he had received, and placed it in the drawer, along with every other he had. Sometimes, when he got letters from those who bought his paintings, it felt even more certain that the painting was going to a real person and not just to a pile of money in his bank account. He looked into the drawer, and the sheer number of letters that he saw without even having to count them, made his heart swell.

He always felt a sense of pride when he received a new letter from a patron. He didn't understand why they were sending him letters of thanks; he should have been the one thanking those who spent their hard earned money. But he felt accomplishment, and pure happiness, knowing that someone enjoyed his paintings almost as much as he did.

He stood up, and walked over to the window of his new studio, and pressed his head against the glass. All that he wanted to do, was paint. All day, every day, paint. iIt had come to be his reason for living, being, breathing. He was almost one with the pigment coating the canvas, but not quite.

The canvas was looming; large, and barely started. This was his first piece to be submitted to a gallery, for a sale. He was going to paint something that he felt in his heart, that spoke magnitudes about what he truly felt about everything; the human race, art, life itself.

The weeks dragged by, and the colossal work of art slowly finished. Most days, Eren worked alone, but occasionally, Levi joined him in silence. Levi's company was always welcome, it made him feel less alone in the silence. Occasionally, Levi would comment on the painting, but mostly, he was silent. Sipping on tea, reading a book. Their mere presence was all that was needed for either of them.

When Eren was nearly finished the painting, he had asked Levi to not come to the studio for a few days, until it was completely finished. Levi didn't object, and gave Eren his space. A week later, Eren allowed Levi into his precious space, and showed off the painting.

It was a landscape, which was unsurprising for Eren. It was in the countryside, which wasn't so typical for his artworks. There were people haphazardly strewn around the scene, but maybe people wasn't suitable for the state of being they had found themselves in, considering their heads had been ripped off by what could only be described as giants, their blood staining the grass. Levi stood up to the canvas, taking in every small detail. He was silent for a few minutes, gathering his thoughts. The work of art in front of him was just that- a work of art. He had never seen anything like it in his whole life, and it was unlikely he would ever see anything like it again.

Levi turned around to Eren, who jumped slightly. He was smiling, only a little bit.

'It's beautiful. I love it. It's amazing. Just.. aah!' Levi threw his arms around Eren, disregarding the copious amount of paint covering his body. 'I'm so proud'

\-----

The night of the gallery exhibition came quickly, too quickly for Eren's liking. The night saw both him and Levi suited in complimenting outfits, reading to mingle with possible buyers. They stood close to Eren's piece, their vantage point allowing them to see anyone taking an interest.

Early in the night, it was clear that very few people were taking an interest in the piece. Several people had gone up to it, and glanced at it before turning their away, most of them visibly shaking their heads. Eren didn't lose faith however, until late in the night.

As they made their way home, Eren was visibly upset at the lack of interest, and Levi was given the job of consoling him, which, of course, wasn't a problem.

At all.

\-----

_Everyone scowled at his paintings, and like the ebbing tide, people left his side / The thing that changed, was always the scenery / People scoffed at him calling him inco_ mpetent, and the two with their increasing fights broke up / Maybe what I believed in, was wrong

Eren looked at the wall, putting the still-glowing phone down on the wooden table. He was numb, as anyone would be after losing their life-long best friend. Armin had rang him, and told him that he was becoming power-crazy. He didn't have patience for the artist, and that honestly, his paintings weren't that good. It had hurt Eren, Armin had always praised him highly. At least he still had Levi, who was always by his side.

But it wasn't going to last long, and Eren had felt it coming for a while.

\-----

One day, Levi came home from his classes to find Eren asleep on the sofa, with a paintbrush dripping a stain onto the material below. Levi dropped his bags, the crash causing Eren to stir, and sit up, causing the stain to grow in area. This only angered Levi further.

'What have you been doing all day?! Sleeping?! This is bullshit, Eren. I slave away working to help pay most of this rent and you have the nerve to spend your day sleeping?!' Levi spat, standing behind the table. Eren looked up at Levi, taking in his beautiful features, slightly mussed hair, tie loose, top button of his shirt undone. Eren drank it in, because he could feel it in his bones, that this was the last time he would see Levi. He rose to his feet, and breathed in, trying to keep his voice calm and failing miserably.

'I don't sleep all day Levi, you know that I stay up late. I need to, if I don't, I wont have anything to sell. I's difficult, but I try my best. I pay rent too.. I just...' he trailed off as his voice began to reach an embarrassing pitch, his throat becoming tight, eyes wet with tears ready to fall. He knew what was coming, but that didn't make it any easier for him.

'Eren, I can't deal with this anymore.. I don't see you pulling your weight around here and i just.. I'm sorry'.

Eren nodded in agreement, tears rolling down his cheeks, a numbness spreading from his heart, through his lungs, out to the tips of his fingers and the bottom of his feet. He may as well have been made of silicone at this moment.

'I'll clean up my stuff then. I'll be gone by tomorrow.. Let me call the old landlord, he probably has a spare apartment still..' Eren said more to himself, as Levi had left, shaking his head and muttering to himself.

'Why did I ever believe in him? It was stupid, of course it would amount to nothing'.

\-----

Eren had a small suitcase, a case with some canvases and his paints, brushes, and any other equipment. He walked over to Levi who was leaning out the window, and gave a sad smile.

'I guess its goodbye then', Eren said softly.

Levi shrugged, and took a cigarette out of a packet - a habit Eren didn't know he partook in until they broke up - lit it, and took a drag before saying anything.

'Bye'.

Eren left the apartment, but he knew that his heart was still there, in the ownership of Levi.

\-----

_On the first floor of a wooden apartment, he is still painting pictures; he wanted to draw about himself, about me who's empty after all / He liked pictures since he was little, but now he doesn't know the reason; there's no one to praise him now / The paintings increasing in number don't have names anymore_

Eren had always loved painting.

Even though mostly his drawings were of simple subjects; blobs, wiggles, crudely colored in in hues that hurt the eyes, he was always told that he would grow up to become a famous artist. His dream was to move to France, maybe Paris, sell paintings, become rich, famous. Be able to buy his parents nice things, the things that they deserved and thank them for giving him the inspiration to pursue the only dream that he had.

But, things changed, and dreaming about a future in France took a back seat.

He continued painting, drawing, throughout his schooling and of course, as comes with practice, he became an incredible artist. He won competitions, painted murals for his school. But by the time college came around, his parents were totally against his plans of taking an art course. Why waste thousands on going to college, just to do something that they considered only a hobby? They tried to persuade him to go to a business college, get a good degree and work somewhere where he would have a stable, and more importantly, high income.

Around this time, he fell in love with Levi. Beautiful, perfect Levi. He was an upperclassman, a year older than Eren, but somehow Levi fell for Eren too. They were the image of young love, spending as much time together as possible; going out on dates, having picnics in the park. Their life was a stereotypical romance movie.

Levi had always supported Eren in his painting, when his parents had cut him off, when they were both starving because Eren still hadn't sold a painting, and when Eren had seemingly hit the big times, his painting selling like hot cakes, and he was the newest celebrity on the block.

Then, Levi didn't support Eren. When they only saw each other once a week, when he forgot to tidy up, when he fell asleep all day while Levi was working. When he forgot to pay his part of the rent because he was painting a piece that he needed to have finished the next day, and that never ended up actually making him any money. Levi loved Eren, it would be hard to fall out of love with someone who you cared about so deeply. Levi just needed something else out of the relationship, and Eren wasn't giving.

\-----

He sat on the balcony of their apartment, absentmindedly swirling colors together on the canvas. The whole world may as well have not existed, right now the only thing that was important to him was the blending acrylics on the stretched linen.

He heard the door open, but it was far away from where he was. Footsteps echoed through the silent hallway, making their way towards him.there was a soft click; something being placed on a counter, and then he sensed a presence behind him. Not bothering to turn around, he knew exactly who it was, and he could feel the steely grey eyes boring into the canvas.

'You're painting him again', Mikasa said, turning around to go back into the kitchen. Her words brought him back to reality, and he took the time to lean back a little and look at the painting. If one were to glance at the painting, it wouldn't have been obvious who the subject was. But, to Eren and Mikasa, who both knew the artist well, it was screaming out at them.

Eren stood up, and covered over his paints, giving the canvas one last glance before retreating to the kitchen. Mikasa had something in the microwave, and she was leaning against the counter scrolling through her phone.

'You're a mess' she stated, and Eren couldn't say anything back to her, because he knew it was the truth. Since he and Levi split up, no, since he and Armin stopped being friends, he hadn't been in the best of ways. But since Levi had also left his life, it was like all of the brightness had suddenly disappeared.

The /ding/ of the microwave shook them both, and Eren turned to see what Mikasa had brought. As she took the plastic container out, he saw that it was lasagne, which made his mouth water almost instantaneously. Mikasa took the hot dish out with a towel, and cut some for both herself and Eren. They sat at the kitchen table, blowing on the steaming food. From her seat, Mikasa could see into the living room, and Eren's ever-growing collection of Levi paintings.

'There sure is a lot of them,' she murmured, more to herself than anyhing, but Eren still nodded.

'Yeah.. I can't get him out of my mind'.

Mikasa closed her mouth, sighed softly, then began eating again.

When they finished their meal, dishes washed and put away, they sat in the living room. Mikasa, ever fascinated by Eren's talent with a brush, looked at the collection of paintings surrounding them. 'Do they have names?', she asked, looking at her brother.

He shook his head in response.

\-----

_The day he realized the time, and wondered how many months and days have passed, a painting of his was sold after quite a while / The thing that changed, was always the scenery / A letter came from the painting's buyer, a single phrase on a cherry-blossom patterned paper / "What I believed in, was right."_

Eren was sat on his balcony, where he found himself most of the time, nowadays. A lot of time he was out there, if he wasn't painting, he was smoking. He knew how bad for his health it was, and he had been chided by Mikasa countless times about the effect the sticks had on his lungs, fingers, teeth, fertility. He couldn't bring himself to care, as the thick smoke filed his lungs with as much a sense of calm as he could feel after the light in his life had left.

He was certain that it was still the end of spring, maybe the start of summer at a push. But his guess was totally wrong, as he noitced a flake of snow fall lazily from the sky. He sighed, stubbing out the cigarette in the ashtray that he had placed on the small table. He leaned back and stretched, looking out to the city.

It had been almost a year since he had broken up with Levi.

He had a placement in a gallery again, for the first time in over a year, which surprised him. He had gained notoriety in the area as the artist who painted the murdered people. Nobody, apart from Levi, understood the meaning behind the painting. but since the painting didn't involve any blood or gore, Eren had been given another chance. He doubted it would sell, and he would probably just hang around the outside of the building for he night, and only enter for the free food, but hey, a placement was a placement.

And because Eren had lost track of the time, he realized that the night may have been sooner than he thought. He bolted up from the chair, nearly turning over the table and ashtray, to rush and check his phone.

November fourteenth.

He checked the letter on the counter, and nearly dropped his phone onto the tiles below. The show was tonight.

\----- Despite his plans to lurk in the shadows outside the building, Eren was standing by his painting, and even wandering around the gallery with Mikasa in tow. Occasionally, Eren's mind tricked him into thinking that he saw a certain black haired man, but he brushed off the thoughts. Even still, they nagged at him, enough to stress him out to the point of needing a cigarette. He had tried to hold back on the craving for the night, not wanting to reek of smoke but it was late, and he needed it.

He tapped Mikasa's shoulder, informing her that he was going outside for a moment, and made his way to the doors, cigarette hanging on his bottom lip as he stepped out. There were two other people outside smoking that Eren paid little attention to. As he lit the end, taking a deep drag, he heard a voice beside him talk.

'Well, you sure turned into something else, didn't you Eren?'.

He turned his head to the voice, and came face-to-face with Levi. He choked on the smoke making its way to his lungs, as Levi stamped out his own cigarette.

'I'm flattered you brought a painting of me to your first show in a year', were his parting words as he left, disappearing into the blackness of the night.

Eren proceeded to smoke half of his packet of cigarettes, until Mikasa came out and dragged him back in by the ear.

\-----

He reclined back on his couch, the springs digging into his back. He leafed through the notes, a smile spreading across his face for the first time in a long while. Someone had bought his painting at the show over a fortnight ago, and he had a newfound confidence. He had wondered who had parted with the money, and one morning, he didn't have to wonder anymore.

Mikasa had come over to his apartment, as was almost routine at this point, and she had a pile on envelopes in her hand.

'Eren, I think I have about a weeks worth of mail here, why don't you check it more often?', she said, hitting him on the back of the head with the pile before dropping them on the table in front of him, helping herself to some coffee.

Eren rubbed the back of his head, and flicked through the envelopes, opening them one at a time. Bills, bills, bills, overdue library book, bills. The last envelope loomed, looking more and more like a bill with every opened letter. However, the letter inside definitely wasn't a bill, or the library harassing him for a book he borrowed when he was fifteen - seriously, he returned it!

Eren pulled out the paper as if it were made of diamonds, and to him, it may as well have been. He saw the tell-tale cherry blossoms, and of course, the perfect writing in the middle. /So it was him/, Eren thought to himself, a smile spreading slowly across his face.

'What's up? You look like you've just won the lottery', Mikasa chimed as she sat down on an armchair, looking at her brother like he had two heads.

'Hm? Oh, nothing. Just something that wasn't a bill', he murmured. Mikasa nodded, not totally believing what he was saying.

_I was right to have believed_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading~~!
> 
> If you enjoyed please do leave a comment I love hearing from people who read what I write!! 
> 
> (Also if you spot any grammar, spelling, punctuation errors please let me know! I'm never good at finding every single one ehe)


End file.
